On March 24, 2021, partner Sarah Harris was featured in Bloomberg’s “They’ve Got Next: Five Fresh Faces to Know in Appellate.” According to the editor, the series highlights rising stars of the appellate bar—young lawyers who are making their mark in key cases before the Supreme Court and federal circuit courts across the country. The article spotlighted Sarah’s recent argument before the Supreme Court in Salinas v. United States Railroad Retirement Board, where the question presented was whether courts of appeal have jurisdiction to review the Railroad Retirement Board’s decisions denying requests to reopen a prior benefits determination. On February 3, 2021, in a 5-4 opinion authored by Justice Sotomayor, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sarah’s client, holding that the Board’s refusal to reopen a prior denial of benefits is subject to judicial review. Sarah argued a second case before the Court this Term, Carr v. Saul, where the Court is expected to decide whether claimants seeking Social Security benefits must raise Appointments Clause challenges to improperly appointed Social Security administrative law judges in order to preserve the issue for judicial review.
 
Carr v. Saul was the firm’s second of four arguments this Term; Williams & Connolly’s Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation team also has two cases scheduled for oral argument before the Supreme Court this April: Sanchez v. Mayorkas and Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.  

Click here to read Bloomberg’s “They’ve Got Next: Appellate Fresh Face Sarah Harris.”